How to Determine if an Online MBA Program Has Accreditation

There is little to no reason to undertake an online MBA program from a school that is not properly accredited. Doing this puts the student in jeopardy of receiving a poor quality education that does not have any weight with employers upon graduation. It also means that the student is risking an investment loss as the costs of becoming educated may not be recovered through more prominent levels of employment. It goes without saying that online MBA accreditation is of the utmost important, but how does a student determine accredited status?

An Online MBA Degree’s Web Domain

Online students have a distinct advantage when it comes to determining accredited status. This is because websites are governed by a country’s domain registrar and many countries equip colleges with unique domains to display their accredited status to the public. A few of these domains include “.edu” for students studying in American colleges, “.ac.uk” for students studying in British colleges, and “.edu.au” for students studying in Australian colleges. This means that students should avoid online schools that end in “.com” or “.net” as their accreditation status has not been verified or has not satisfied the requirements of the country it is offered in. This does not mean that all education offered from “.com” schools is of poor quality. However, it does mean that the qualifications gained from such schools are not outwardly recognizable to many leading employers and may only lead to employment within specific roles, businesses, or companies. It is possible that students can be employable after graduating from a “.com” school, but prospective students interested in broader employment opportunities should remain with accredited schools at all times.

A simple visual check to verify the website’s domain is the easiest way of determining a school’s accreditation. In many instances, this is all that will be required of the student and he could progress on to a respectable education and career. However, there are also educational boards that govern business schools and their specific claims to hold accredited statuses in the academic world.

The AACSB and an Online MBA

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) was founded in the late 1910s to serve as a quality control regulator for business and accountancy education. It currently accredits 567 institutions as of 2009 and these schools can be found by accessing their directory of accredited institutions. The directory is available online and prospective students can easily compare their preferred schools with it in order to determine if an institution offers a reputable, high quality education.